Automatic railway-switch



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. M. DEAL.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 536,188. Patented Mar. 26, 1895.

Attorney (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2..

J. M. DEAL.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITUH.

No; 536,188. Patented Mar. 26, 1895.

tnesses.

Inventor.

I fi/QZM D na/23 I Attorney.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. DEAL, OF FEBNWOOD, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM BARTRAM, OF

LANSDOWNE, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-SWITCH.

, SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 536,188, dated March26, 1895.

Application filedJ'uly 6,1894. Serial No. 516 ,723. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. DEAL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fernwood, in the county of Delaware and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatic Railway- Switches, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to that class of railway switches termedautomatic safety switches, in which are provisions whereby the switch isautomatically operated by approaching trains; and the object of theinvention is to provide a simple and efficient construction andarrangement of mechanism whereby the operation of the switch shall beefiected under all conditions, as will hereinafter appear.

In the annexed drawings-Figure 1 is a plan of a switch mechansimembodying my invention, the view being shown in two parts. Figs.

2 and 3 are longitudinal sections, as on thelines a-a, and bb, of Fig.1, respectively.

, Figs. 4 and v5 are transverse sections, as on the lines c-c and dol,respectively.

The numeral 1 denotes the main trackway, 2 the siding or branchtrackway, and 3 the switch, the several parts being supported andrelatively arranged in the usual manner.

The switch rails are connected, near their points, by means of a bar 4,.which is, in turn, connected eccentrically with a centrally-disposedhead 5. This head is constructed in two parts, which are concentricallymounted on a vertical stud 6 fixed to and between an open frame 7, thelatter being firmly supported upon a suitably located cross-tie 8.

The connection of the two-part head with the bar is such that if theformer be partially turned, to the right or left, the bar, and,perforce, the switch rails will be moved toward or from the adjacentrails, respectively, for the purpose of opening or closing the switch,asvdesired.

Fixed to the bases of the rails of the main track, a suitable distancein advance of the nected eccentrically with the head by means of a rod12, whereby when the shaft is properly turned the switch, if open, willbe closed to preserve the continuity of the main track. On the shaft 10,adjacent to the inner sides of the respective rails, are forwardlyextending arms 13 upon which rest the free ends of levers let pivotallyconnected at their opposite ends with the webs of the railsrespectively, as at w. The parts are so constructed and relativelyarranged that when the switch is open the arms extend upwardly andmaintain the ends of the levers at a level with the treads of theadjacent rails, or nearly so. Hence the flanges of the wheels of a trainapproaching the switch will bear upon and depress said 7 levers, and, inconsequence, through the intermediate connections, they will positivelyclose said switch. Thehead 5 is similarly connected'with correspondingcontrolling devices A, B, located in the siding,

and in the main track beyond the switch, re-

spectively, whereby it a train be approaching the switch, from the rear,and the switch be open, the flanges of the wheels will bear upon thelevers of the devices B and efiect the closing of the switch. Theseveral connections are such that the levers occupy the raised or activepositions to meet the respective requirements mentioned.

By the described construction it will be seen that a trainapproaching-the points of the switch will close the latter. Now, inorder that the switch may be opened by the next approaching train, ifdesired, I provide the following mechanism, viz: Located in the maintrackway intermediate the rock-shaft 10 and the points of the switch, isa similar shaft 10, the distance between said shafts being somewhatgreater than the length of the longest train. The shaft 10 is providedwith arms 13 similarly to the first described shaft, upon which armlevers 14: correspondingly rest. Depending from the shaft is an arm 11which is provided with a laterally extended lower end, as seen. Normallythe levers 14 are depressed and the arm 11 depends forwardly. Locateddirectly below the rock shaft, so as to embrace the lower end of the arm13 is a U-shaped box 15,.upon the bottom of which rests the expanded endof a ICO rod 12, the other end of which is eccentri cally connected withthe head 5. The expanded portion of this rod is provided with atransverse groove 16, which lies immediately beneath the lower end ofthe arm 13 when the switch is closed, to the end that this portion ofthe rod may be raised to engage its groove with the arm, as hereinafterdescribed. Fitted to the box is the inner or free end of a bar 17, theother end of which extends laterally beyond the trackway and isconnected with one limb of a three-armed lever 18 which is mounted in asuitable base 19. The inner end of the bar is provided with a beveledstep or cam portion 20, which is normally out of engagement with the rod12. When, however, the cam-bar, as it may be termed, is forced inward,by properly moving the lever 18, the step takes against the opposed edgeof the rod and raises the grooved portion of the latter into engagementwith the arm. At the same time it moves the arm slightly upward and,perforce, elevates thelateral levers to the level of the treads of therails, or practically so. Hence the wheel flanges of an approachingtrain will depress these levers, and, through the intermediateconnections, open the switch.

One arm of the lever 18 is connected by means of a rod 21 with a crankarm 22 on a standard 23 located adjacent to the track. This standard ismounted in a bearing 24 so as to be partially rotatable, and it isprovided with an inwardly-extending operating arm 25. As the trainapproaches the standard, the engineer projects a tappet arm, or otherappropriate device, which, striking the arm 25 of the standard, turnsthe latter sufficiently to insure the requisite projection of the cambar.

It will be observed that when the switch is opened, as just described,the switch-controlling levers in the side-track will be caused to assumetheir down or idle position, in order to permit the passage of the trainover the same, and that the switch-controlling levers in the main trackwill be caused to assume .their raised or operative position.

In order that the intermediate or supplemental switch-controllingmechanism shall be released by the operation of an approaching train(running in either direction) on the main line, I arrange, near to thetrack, abellcrank lever 26 and connect one arm thereof with theremaining arm of the lever 18 by means of a rod 27,and connect the otherarm of the lever 26 with the head 5 by means of a rod 28. Hence wheneither set of switch-controlling levers on the main track is depressed,the said connections will effect the retraction of the cam-bar, and,perforce, release the rod 12 from the engaged crank arm 13 of thesupplemental controlling devices.

Rod 26 is joined with the bellcrank lever by a pin and slot connection,so as to permit the requisite amount of play or lost motion during theoperation of the parts.

I claim-- 1. In a railroad switch, the combination with the maintrackway, the siding and the switch, of a main switch-controllingmechanism arranged in the main trackway beyond the switch, connectedwith the latter and constructed to be actuated by the passing train toclose the switch, a supplemental normallyinactive switch controllingmechanism arranged in the main trackway intermediate the switch and themain controlling mechanism, operating devices for said supplementalmechanism located intermediate the latter and the main controllingmechanism, and connections between said operating devices and thesupplemental mechanism, said operating devices being constructed to beoperated by the train under the circumstances stated to connect thesupplemental mechanism operatively with the switch, and said lattermechanism being constructed to be actuated thereupon by the passingtrain to open the switch, substantially as described.

2. In a railroad switch, the combination, with the main trackway, thesiding and the switch, of a set of switch-controlling mechanism arrangedin the main trackway forward of the switch, a set arranged thereinrearwardly of the switch, and a set arranged in the siding (or branchtrack), a rotatable head eccentrically connected with the switch andeccentrically connected with each set of switch-controlling mechanism,said mechanism being constructed to be actuated by the passing train atpredetermined intervals, a supplemental normally-inactiveswitch-controlling mechanism arranged in the main trackway intermediatethe forward controlling mechanism and the switch, operating devices forsaid supplemental mechanism located intermediate the latter and theforward controlling mechanism, connections between said operatingdevices and the supplemental mechanism, said operating devices beingconstructed to be actuated by the train under the circumstances recitedto connect the supplemental mechanism operatively with the switch, andsaid latter mechanism being constructed to be actuated thereupon by thepassing train to open the switch, together with lever and linkconnections between the said head and the said operating devicesconstructed to release the operative connection of the supplementalmechanism with the switch under the circumstances stated, substantiallyas described.

3. In a railroad switch, the combination, with the main trackway, thesiding and the switch, of a mechanism connected with the switch andadapted to be actuated to open or close the latter, an intermediate orsupplemental switch-controlling mechanism comprising a rock-shaft, armsthereon, levers adapted to actuate said arms, a depending crankarm onsaid rock-shaft, a head eccentrically connected with the switch, and arod connected with said head and extended to the said crank arm, andmeans for engaging said rod with IIO low the crank arm, a reciprocativecam-bar adapted to act upon said rod to engage it with the crank-arm, alever with which said cambar is connected, and means for operating saidlever atpredetermined intervals, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in thepresence of two sub scribing witnesses.

JOHN M. DEAL,

Witnesses: v

MATTHEW VANDERER, F. M, LONGSTRETH.

